Latest News

Real estate comes at a premium in the San Francisco Bay Area, forcing local businesses to look for innovative solutions to their storage space needs.

Among these local businesses are indoor growers in the cannabis cultivation industry, who are faced with the challenge of maximizing yields without purchasing additional space. Beyond real estate costs, controlling the temperature and humidity of the grow area is a significant expense—the larger the facility, the greater the cost.

Additionally, each cannabis plant requires sufficient space in order to access light and air circulation, preventing the growth of mold, mildew and other pests. So how can indoor cannabis growers maximize their existing space to improve their yields, while ensuring the health and accessibility of their plants?

The Solution: ActivRAC® Mobilized Storage System

Recently, a cannabis grow facility in the Bay Area worked with a local Spacesaver consultant to design a new indoor grow solution using ActivRAC. This system was originally designed for heavy-duty industrial applications, and consists of shelving or racking mounted on carriages that move along rails installed into or on top of the floor.

The Spacesaver consultant designed an ActivRAC system specifically for this facility, with 42-foot long rows. This system eliminates wasted aisle space, allowing the growers to fit more plants into the same existing area.

Thanks to ActivRAC’s heavy-duty capabilities, the system is able to support two levels of plants, lights, fans and irrigation systems. The facility now grows taller strains on the bottom rows of the system, and smaller strains on the upper level.

When staff members need to access the plants, mechanical-assist handles make it easy to open the aisles. These aisles allow multiple employees to work on both sides of the rows and access every plant as needed.

Proper spacing ensures all of the plants receive adequate exposure to light and airflow, which encourages bud formation. Trellises and netting help keep the plants from sprawling into the aisles, where they could be damaged.

The Results: Doubling the Grow Yield

Due to the wasted aisle space that was eliminated and the new dual levels of shelving, this cannabis grow facility was able to nearly double its yields with Spacesaver ActivRAC.

The cannabis grow system was initially installed in a single room at the facility, but the increased productivity in that one room justified the need for new ActivRAC systems in additional rooms. In each case, the Spacesaver consultant worked with staff to minimize disruption and downtime.

“We went from 10 long tables to 18, and now we have way more aisle space. That keeps the employees safe and happy,” said the General Manager of the grow facility. “Our goal is to maximize our space – and we’ve been able to do it with Spacesaver’s help.”

ActivRAC is a reliable, robust system that has been proven to stand the test of time through decades of use in industrial warehouses, military bases and other heavy-duty applications.

Contact Systems & Space to learn how this time-tested solution can be used to maximize the yield of your indoor grow facility!